Method and apparatus for manufacturing hub assemblies

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for assembling bearings and a stub into a bore of a hub. The apparatus includes a block defining a receiving position for the hub. A feed mechanism arranges plurality of bearings in the form of an annular array. A first mandrel is axially displaceable toward one side of the hub to push the annular array of bearings into the bore of the hub. A second mandrel is axially displaceable toward an opposite side of the hub to push a stub within the annular array of bearings in the bore of the hub. The stub includes at least one outwardly biased detent for retaining the bearings in the hub.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application No. 60/834,516, which was filed Jul. 31, 2006 and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for assembling bearings into a cylindrical opening formed within hubs, gears, bearings, joints and the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is known as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,910 to assemble needle bearings into an annular layer array using a mandrel to insert the array into a cylindrical opening in a receiving machine. The mandrel is centered within the bore of a recover block to define an annular space into which a discrete number of needle bearings are singularly fed from a specially configured track which holds the vertical serpentine column of needle bearings. A push rod engages the column to positively force a discrete number of bearings into the space while a grease packing is inserted about the bearings as they fill the space. After the bearings are positioned about the mandrel and grease has been injected about the needle bearings, the mandrel is moved axially to transfer the bearings into the hub of a gear. The bearings are held in place by the grease, but may still become dislodged during transport of the bearings. Thus, it remains desirable to provide an improved method and apparatus for assembling and retaining needle bearings in the cylindrical opening of gears, bearings, joints and the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the invention, a method is provided for manufacturing a hub assembly. The method includes the steps of: placing a hub having a bore at a receiving position so that the bore is presented for receiving a plurality of bearings and the stub from opposite sides of the hub; inserting a plurality of bearings together into the bore from one side of the hub; inserting a stub having an outwardly biased detent into the bore from an opposite side of the hub; and biasing the bearings radially and circumferentially with the stub to facilitate retention of the bearings in the bore during transport of the hub assembly from the receiving position.

According to another aspect of the invention, an apparatus is provided for assembling bearings and a stub into a bore of a hub. The apparatus includes a block defining a receiving position for the hub. A feed mechanism arranges a plurality of bearings in the form of an annular array. A first mandrel is axially displaceable toward one side of the hub to push the annular array of bearings into the bore of the hub. A second mandrel is axially displaceable toward an opposite side of the hub to push a stub within the annular array of bearings and, thereby, retain the array of bearings in the bore of the hub.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of the hub assembly according to an embodiment of the invention, taken through a plane as indicated at 1-1 in FIG. 5.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of an apparatus for assembling the hub assembly of FIG. 1, shown with a hub in a receiving position ready for receiving a plurality of bearings;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the apparatus with the bearing inserted into a bore in the hub, just prior to insertion of a stub for holding the bearings within the bore of the hub;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the apparatus showing the stub inserted into the bore of hub for retaining the bearings in place;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 2, showing a completed hub assembly prior to exiting the receiving position; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the apparatus of FIGS. 2-5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a hub assembly is generally indicated at 10. The hub assembly 10 includes a hub 20 having a center bore 22 and a plurality of bearings 24 arranged as an annular array along an inner cylindrical surface defining the bore 22. The hub 20 is shown illustratively as a spur gear. It should, however, be readily appreciated by those having ordinary skill in the art that the hub member can be any other type of gear, bearing, joint or hub-shaped member. Described in detail below, the invention includes a method and apparatus for automated installation of the bearings 24 into the bore 22 of the hub 20 and insertion of a stub 30 into the bore 22 to hold the bearings 24 in place until a subsequent operation, in which the stub 30 is removed and replaced by a receiving shaft of a final assembly. The removed stub 30 may be re-used to form another hub assembly.

The stub 30 is generally cylindrically shaped. The stub 30 includes a detent 32 that biases the bearings 24 radially outwardly against the inner cylindrical surface of the bore 22 and circumferentially against each other, thereby creating sufficient friction to hold the bearings 24 in place within the hub 20 while the hub 20 is being transported to another location for the subsequent operation.

In the illustrated embodiment, the detent 32 includes a ball 34 and a biasing member 38 disposed within a generally cylindrical tube 41. The tube 41 is fixedly secured to or otherwise press fit into a diametric transverse bore 36 formed in the stub 20. The tube 41 has a closed end 45 and an opposite open end 47. The biasing member 38 is disposed within the tube 41 between the ball 34 and the closed end 45. Illustratively, the biasing member 38 is shown as a compressed helical spring, though any suitable biasing member may be used. The biasing member 38 continuously biases the ball 34 generally radially outwardly and the open end 47 of the tube 41 is slightly deformed or crimped to retain the ball 34 in the tube 41, so that a portion of the ball 34 protrudes outwardly from an outer surface 39 of the stub 30. Insertion of the stub 30 into the bore 22 within the annular array of bearings 24 causes the ball 34 to be displaced slightly inwardly against the force of the biasing member 38. The outward bias of the ball 34 against at least one of the bearings 24 creates a compression force in the radial and/or circumferential directions, which increases friction to facilitate retention of the bearings 24 within the bore 22 of the hub 20.

Alternatively, the ball 34 and spring 38 may be disposed in the bore 36 without the tube 41. In this case, an edge 37 defining the opening leading into the bore 36 would have a smaller diameter than the ball 34 to retain the ball 34 in the bore 36. The size of the opening leading into the bore 36 may be reduced after insertion of the ball 34 into the bore 36 by deforming the edge 37 inwardly toward the axis of the bore 36.

It should be readily appreciated that the stub 30 may include a plurality of detents 32 that are longitudinally offset to meet the requirements of a particular application, such as for use in a hub member having a plurality of bearing races. In this case, the detents may also be circumferentially aligned or offset. The detents may also have different size and may utilize biasing members with different spring constants.

Referring to FIGS. 2-6, a hub assembly apparatus is generally indicated at 40. The hub assembly apparatus 40 includes a mandrel 42 that extends through a generally cylindrical hole 44 formed in a fixed block 46. The mandrel 42 is centered in the hole 44 to define an annular space 48. The mandrel 42 is also slidably supported by a sleeve 49 that is, in turn, slidably coupled to the block 46. The sleeve 49 is disposed adjacent to the annular space 48 and has a thickness slightly less than that of the annular space 48 so as to be receivable therein. The hub assembly apparatus 40 includes a bearing feeder 50 that delivers a discrete number of bearings 24 to the annular space 48 and arranges the bearings 24 in an annular array disposed in the annular space 48. Optionally, grease may be fed into the annular space for lubricating the bearings 24. The mandrel 42 and sleeve 49 move axially together to displace the annular array of bearings 24 into the bore 22 of the hub 20, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 2. Optionally, the mandrel may include an annular surface facing the hub for displacing the array into the hub instead of the sleeve.

The hub assembly apparatus 40 also includes a hub feeder 60 that delivers and locates a hub 20 to a receiving position defined in the block 46, in which the bore 22 of the hub 20 is substantially axially aligned with the annular array of bearings 24 and the mandrel 42. A detailed description of the hub assembly apparatus as described above is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,910, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The hub assembly apparatus 40 of the present embodiment includes a stub feeder 70 that delivers and locates a stub 30 to a delivery position, in which the stub 30 is generally coaxially aligned with the bore 22 of the hub 20. A second mandrel 72 is generally coaxially aligned with the first mandrel 40. The second mandrel 72 is movable in a generally axial direction toward the hub 20 to push the stub 30 into the bore 22 of the hub 20 generally concentric between the annular array of bearings 24.

The first 40 and second mandrels 72 are arranged on opposite sides of the hub 20 for displacing the array of bearings 24 and the stub 30, respectively, into the bore 22 from opposite sides of the hub 20. The mandrels 40, 72 may be displaced by any suitable actuator and actuator coupling mechanism known by those having ordinary skill in the art.

In operation, the bearing feeder 50, hub feeder 60 and stub feeder 70 provide a supply of bearings, stabs hubs and stubs to the receiving position for automated assembly of a plurality of hub assemblies 40 by the hub assembly apparatus 40. Referring to FIG. 6, the bearing feeder 50 includes a magazine 51 that delivers the supply of bearings 24 to the annular space 48. The stub feeder 70 includes a ramp 71 that delivers the supply of stubs 30 between the second mandrel 72 and the hub 20. The hub feeder 60 includes a ramp 61 that delivers the supply of hubs 20 to the receiving position. Insertion of a plurality of bearings 24 and a stub 30 into a hub 20 is illustrated by the sequence of FIGS. 2 through 5.

In FIG. 2, a plurality of bearings 24 are arranged in an annular array in the annular space 48. The mandrel 42 and sleeve 49 move axially together in the direction of the arrow to displace the annular array of bearings 24 into the bore 22 of the hub 20.

In FIG. 3, the bearings 24 are inserted into the bore 22 by the axial movement of the mandrel 42 and sleeve 49. The stub 30 is displaced in the direction of the arrow by the second mandrel 72. The mandrel 42 is retracted from the bore 22. The sleeve 49 remains in place to hold the bearings 24 in the bore 22 during insertion of the stub 30 and retraction of the mandrel 42. In one embodiment, the stub 30 is inserted into the bore 22 after retraction of the mandrel 42. In another embodiment, the stub 30 is inserted into the bore 22 as the mandrel 42 is retracted. In still another embodiment, the mandrel 42 is pushed out of the bore 22 as the stub 30 is pushed into the bore by the second mandrel 72.

In FIG. 4, the stub 30 is shown in the bore 22 and generally concentric within the annular array of bearings 24. The ball 34 is displaced slightly inwardly against the force of the biasing member 38 due to contact between the ball 34 and at least one of the bearings 24 in the array. The outward bias of the ball 34 relative to the stub 30 eliminates slack between the bearings 24 to facilitate retention of the bearings 24 in the hub 20. The mandrel 42 is displaced from the bore 22.

The hub assembly 10 exits from the receiving position along an exit ramp 61. The hub assembly 10 can then be transported to another location for installation onto a shaft of a final assembly (not shown). The bearings 24 are held in place by the stub 30 during transportation. In the final assembly, the stub 30 is removed and replaced with the shaft of the final assembly. The removed stub 30 may be reused by returning the removed stub 30 to the stub feeder 70 in the machine 40 to form part of another hub assembly 10, as described above.

In FIG. 5, the sleeve 49 is retracted to allow an arrangement of another plurality of bearings 24 into the annular space 48 to begin another hub assembly cycle, as described above.

The invention has been described in an illustrative manner. It is, therefore, to be understood that the terminology used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Many modifications and variations of the invention are possible in light of the above teachings. For example, the movements of the mandrels and sleeve, as described above, can be automated using conventional actuators, such as hydraulic cylinders or motors. The aforementioned steps can be automated, manual driven, or any combination thereof. Thus, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described. 

1. A method of manufacturing a hub assembly, said method including the steps of: placing a hub having a first end opposite a second end, and an inner wall surface defining a bore extending between the first end and second end; inserting a first mandrel having a plurality of bearings into the bore from the first end of the hub, wherein the plurality of bearings are arranged in a predetermined configuration; providing a second mandrel spaced apart the first mandrel, and a stub having an outwardly biased detent, wherein the second mandrel is operable to push the stub axially into the bore from the second end of the hub so as to displace the first mandrel from the bore; biasing the bearings radially and circumferentially against the inner wall surface of the hub with the outwardly biased detent of the stub so as to facilitate retention of the bearings in the predetermined configuration within the bore; and transporting the hub, stub and plurality of bearings to a final assembly station, wherein the hub, stub and plurality of bearings are transported as one unit so as to maintain the plurality of bearings in the predetermined configuration and ready the hub assembly for installation of a receiving shaft of a final hub assembly.
 2. The method as set forth in claim 1 including the step of substantially aligning the bore of the hub between the first and second mandrels, and wherein the first and second mandrels are disposed on respective first and second ends of the hub.
 3. The method as set forth in claim 2 including the step of arranging the plurality of bearings in a generally annular array that is substantially coaxially aligned with the first mandrel.
 4. The method as set forth in claim 3 including the step of inserting the annular array of bearings and first mandrel into the bore of the hub.
 5. The method as set forth in claim 4, further including the step of disposing the stub between the second end of the hub and the second mandrel, wherein the stub, second mandrel and bore of the hub are axially aligned with each other.
 6. The method as set forth in claim 5 including the step of pressing the second mandrel against the stub so as to insert the stub axially into the bore and displace the first mandrel from the bore.
 7. The method as set forth in claim 6 including the step of injecting grease between the bearings prior to insertion of the stub.
 8. The method as set forth in claim 7 including the steps of: displacing the stub with the receiving shaft of the final hub assembly.
 9. The method as set forth in claim 1 including the step of inserting the stub into the bore of the hub to retain the bearings within the bore of the hub, wherein the detent is provided as an outwardly biased ball.
 10. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the bore extends axially between the first end and the second ends, and wherein the stub is inserted axially into the second end of the bore, and wherein the receiving shaft is pressed axially against the stub, displacing the stub from the bore so as to be disposed within the bore of the hub assembly. 